Glimmers In The Gloom

On dark days and even darker nights, we seek light, however faint it may be.  We lift our faces up to search the sky for stars or a portion of the moon.  We look for lights shining in windows of homes, even if it is the flame from a single candle. Light need not be from stars, the moon, or devices made by humans.  

Light can be found in a generous heart, the warmth of a gaze or a quick, easy smile.  Ella's Night Lights (Candlewick Press, November 24, 2020) written and illustrated by Lucy Fleming follows a whimsical being of the forest.  Although she can only move about at night, this does not diminish her purpose.

Nestled in a little nook

of an old oak tree

lived a teeny-tiny girl.

Her name was Ella.

Ella's delicate wings kept her inside during daylight hours.  Her greatest desire was to see a sunrise.  She loved light.

At night when Ella left her home, she gathered every bit of light she found.  She did not keep it for herself.  It was freely given to those who needed to navigate through darkness.

Each time she gave away light, she whispered a poem to the recipient.  She believed at one time or another; light was needed by someone.  One night Sable, a fox, welcomed Ella's light.  The duo became friends, gathering and sharing light together.

On another night another forest being was frightened.  Ella offered light. Night after night, Ella and her new friends frolicked in fun until the sun started to rise. Sable wanted to bring as much happiness to Ella as she brought to others.  The fox and the forest friends fashioned something unexpected for Ella; like her they found light in darkness.

This tender and loving story resonates through the narrative penned by Lucy Fleming.  Through her use of alliteration Lucy Fleming draws us into the nights spent by Ella.  The repetition of the rhyming, reassuring poem ties portions of the story together.

All of us can identify with being or feeling small and of having a deep desire.  Lucy Fleming, through Ella, allows us to understand the strength found in sharing light and our light.  Ella is a shining example of placing others before yourself.  Here, the shared hope comes back to Ella.  This is another passage.

When Ella awoke at night

and the moon was high,

she flittered and flew, collecting light.

She was drawn to everything that

glowed and glimmered

in the darkness. 

The enchanting scene shown on the front, right, of the matching dust jacket and book case gives us a glimpse of the magic found within the pages of this book.  Ella's two best forest friends are shown gathering and enjoying light with her.  The swirl of stars and dust represent the sharing of the gathered light.  On the front of the dust jacket the light shimmers.  

The image on the front, right, spreads over the spine to continue on the left, back.  The hill over the spine sloops down to a small valley before rising again.  There are some trees in the foreground on the right.  On the left, a large tree extends from the corner to the top, some branches reaching toward the full moon sitting just above the valley.  What a gorgeous, glorious illustration this is! (The entire picture continues flap edge to flap edge.)

The opening and closing endpapers are a golden yellow.  Etched in white are stars and other night flyers, moths.  The verso, dedication and title pages are a single illustration.  It is a panoramic view of the winter world, a vast meadow bordered by forests.  A star streaks across the night sky.

Rendered digitally, these illustrations, double-page pictures, full-page pictures, and smaller pictures grouped on a single page, show a winter world hushed in the darkness. Whether we are close to Ella or given a larger perspective of her night journeys, each intricate detail contributes to the charm of the setting and tale.  We want to stop to enjoy all the individual elements.  As Ella collects light, it follows her everywhere.  This presents the truth of light being drawn to light.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a full-page image.  The canvas is a starry sky with a lighter purple shade toward the bottom.  In the left-hand corner is a bit of branches from a tree.  A crescent moon hangs above these branches.  In the sky are Luna, Ella, and Sable, left to right.  Each of them is holding a balloon of light with a central glow. Luna and Ella are in flight.  Sable is leaping straight up.

Delightful from beginning to end, resonating long after the covers are closed, Ella's Night Lights written and illustrated by Lucy Fleming is a story of giving and receiving.  Readers will be wrapped in its warmth of friendship found.  You'll want to use this title for a storytime on being a friend, winter, bedtime, and sharing your talents.  Be sure to have a copy on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Lucy Fleming and her other work, follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Lucy Fleming has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior illustration.  I hope you enjoy this video with Lucy Fleming talking about this book and her creative process.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like . .

There's no denying the magic of the Christmas season is in the air.  If you stop and step aside from all the hustle and bustle and look around you, you will see it.  It's there in the person holding the door for someone whose arms are full of packages.  You can hear it in the carol being whistled softly by a shopper.  The aroma of fresh cut evergreens fills local nurseries.  Sipping a cup of peppermint hot chocolate brings forth memories of past holiday gatherings.  As some ornaments, decades old, are hung on the tree, you can close your eyes and recall the exact moment you first saw them, simply by touch.

There are stories attached to Christmas tree ornaments; a gift from a student, a symbol of a beloved book, or in memory of a cherished companion. The Broken Ornament (Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, September 18, 2018) written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi is about the search for a special Christmas.  You never know where you will find it or who will help you.

JACK WANTED THIS TO BE THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER.
"I want more decorations," he said. "That way Santa will see our house first."

Jack is a firm believer in more and bigger equals better than best.  Despite everything in his household ready to celebrate Christmas Eve, Jack still feels there is one more thing to do.  He leaves the decorated tree and races back into the room holding a box with a single ornament inside.  His mother calls out.  Jack's determination causes a lapse in hearing.

The ornament drops to the floor shattering.  Heartbroken his mother runs upstairs crying.  His father follows with a box of tissues. Peering into the pieces Jack sees a shadow emerge. It's a fairy named Tinsel.  Asked what he desires, Jack says

"I want the best Christmas ever!"

Tinsel springs into action.  Tossed glitter becomes snowflakes.  Mistletoe berries falling to the floor sprout into huge evergreens.  Jack's living room is now a winter wonderland. Whenever the sprite's bells jingle more Christmas cheer enters Jack's house.  It's still not enough.  Jack has one more wish.

Tinsel cannot grant this request.  She cannot repair the broken ornament.

Given a gingerbread house glowing with an inner light, Jack gazes through a miniature window.  The scene he sees fills his mind and heart with understanding.  There is only one person who can make this the best Christmas ever.  It needs to be made with and for love.


As Jack and his parents are introduced to us, it's easy to catch his excitement for making this Christmas one to remember.    With each one of his expressed desires Tony DiTerlizzi is indeed leading readers toward the disaster but also toward a far larger discovery.  Each sentence and each verbal exchange between the characters is a careful blend providing excellent pacing.  Readers will smile at the terms of endearment Tinsel uses when addressing Jack.  Here is a passage.

"Are you my fairy godmother?" Jack asked.
A bubbly voice replied, "Godmother?  Oh, no, they don't trust me with a wand.
Call me Tinsel."
"So . . . do you grant wishes?" Jack leaned in close.


Framed in red foil the front (right) and back (left) of the opened dust jacket gives readers a glimpse of Jack's Christmas extravaganza inside his home.  Tinsel zips from the broken ornament as Jack watches in wonder.  The title text is raised and varnished.  Tinsel's frozen trail is also varnished.  On the back we move closer to the Christmas tree heavily covered in snow.  Two lines from the story are varnished in white.

The book case is a shimmer of white on the front and the back with a dusting of pale blue on the edges.  Five specific ornaments hang on the back.  On the front the broken ornament lays beneath the title text.  Tinsel is flying off the image in the upper, right-hand corner.

The opening and closing endpapers look like green wrapping paper patterned in an array of various ornaments colored in red, yellow, blue, white and green.  On the title page five houses covered in snow and ice line the street and create a peaceful scene under the text.

Rendered in

colored pencil and Acryla gouache on Bristol board with additional effects (were) achieved through fairy magic,

the illustrations supply warmth and a bit of nostalgia.  Tony DiTerlizzi alters their size to coincide with his masterful pacing.  Some are full page, small insets with text or marvelous, wordless double-page pictures.  Several of the visuals extend over the gutter providing a column for text.  For a very specific depiction the entire background is white.

The point of view provides emphasis on moments in the story, bringing us near to the characters or giving us a breathtaking view of the action.  Humor is found in many of the images; the looks on the snowmen's faces and a reindeer enjoying a candy cane.  The tag on Jack's pajama top is outside.  And the extra snowman in one of the pictures looks familiar.  The final illustration on the dedication page will have readers cheering.

One of my many favorite pictures is when we meet Tinsel.  A full page is dedicated to her.  We move in close to within the branches of the Christmas tree.  Colorful ornaments and lights surround her.  She stands on a red ornament.  Her larger, pointed ears stick out from her red hair.  A crown with snowflakes adorns her head.  Around the bottom of her dress is a layer of white.  Her tights are candy-cane stripped.  Bells are attached to her ankles.  She is beauty and joy all rolled into a single being.


The Broken Ornament with words and pictures by Tony DiTerlizzi is certain to be a Christmas classic.  Readers will ask for it to be read repeatedly.  It's guaranteed everyone who reads this story will be looking for a Christmas fairy every time an ornament is broken.  I know you will want a copy of this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Tony DiTerlizzi please visit his website by following the link attached to his name.  Tony maintains an account on Twitter and Instagram. You'll enjoy seeing a lot of his process artwork.  The cover of this book is revealed at Watch. Connect. Read., the site of Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher.  You can view interior images at the publisher's website.

Girl Power Graphic Novels---The Blog Tour

Being asked to participate in the First Second week long event showcasing graphic novels championing female characters is indeed an honor.  During this five day tour twenty sites are offering posts about one or more individual titles or new titles in a current series.  All readers will find something to like about these stories and the lively individuals coming to life within the pages.

Machine parts, candles, Jell-O and desserts are made using molds.  This does not work well when applied to people.  In fact the idiom, they broke the mold, implies uniqueness in characteristics.  Certainly when one follows their passion, building on their gifts, and loves doing this, they have probably stepped outside any predetermined role for them.

In the spring of 2012 readers were introduced to a young girl, a character, who most definitely does not conform to expectations.  She, her brother and best friend burst on the children's literature scene in Giants Beware! (First Second, April 10) written by Jorge Aguirre with illustrations by Rafael Rosado.  The entire crew plus royalty numbering seven returned in Dragons Beware! (First Second, May 12, 2015) written by Jorge Aguirre, illustrations by Rafael Rosado, story by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado and color by John Novak.

The third book, Monsters Beware! (First Second, March 13, 2018) written by Jorge Aguirre, art by Rafael Rosado, story by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado and color by John Novak continues The Chronicles of Claudette with a powerful edge-of-your-seat adventure.  Claudette, her brother Gaston, who loves almost nothing more than cooking and Marie, the daughter of the Marquis who does not want to go to finishing school, are selected to represent Mont Petit Pierre in the Warrior Games due to Claudette's clever and quick thinking.  No one at this time is aware of the extreme danger the entire kingdom is facing.

A long time ago,
in a town not too 
far away . . .
A young girl from the Mountain Citadel
moved to Mont Petit Pierre.

Because of her undeniable battle skills . . .
. . . she was chosen to represent the town
in the elite WARRIOR GAMES, along with a
boy named Augustine and a young marquis.

Gaston is reciting this story of his mother who through saving the lives of the two boys gets Mont Petit Pierre banned from the Warrior Games until now.  What the reader will learn is she married Augustine, Claudette's and Gaston's father, but later was lost.  Eight teams are competing in the games.  All the members of the teams appear to be ready, willing and able except for Gaston and Marie.  Claudette, on the other hand, is brimming with confidence, enough for all three.

Hilarity begins on the first day when instead of battling monsters the event is butter churning. The Marquis's wife has persuaded him to change the events due to their daughter's participation.  As the day closes the mystery begins.  It seems the team from The Great Lakes Kingdom has vanished.  That night Gaston (and readers) witnesses a horror.

The next day during truffle hunting the danger to everyone escalates at top speed.  No one, not even Claudette, believes what Gaston and now Marie have seen.  Evil is lurking under disguise.

A final competition changes everything for the trio after Claudette makes a hard choice.  But oh, readers this is not the end.  The captivating conclusion will leave you breathless and cheering.


From beginning to end, every single conversation, every piece of dialogue, crackles with excitement, humor and the strength of friendship and family (good and evil).  Jorge Aguirre writes with the sure knowledge of his audience weaving his story to reach as many readers (and listeners) as possible.  You can't help but feel as though you have been invited to participate in the tale.  This third book, full of unexpected twists and turns, will find a special place in your heart.  Here is a passage.

Can't you convince the Marquis to pick me for the Warrior Team?
Please, Poppa! Please!!!
I could win the games
for our town.
I'm a winner.
Winning is my 
thing.
  
There are more
important things than
winning, Claudette.

Sure...
There's also
honor, glory,
and bashing
monsters for
the fun of it.
But winning is 
my main thing.


There's no doubt about the personality of Claudette and her determination to be a champion when you view the front of the cover.  We know evil is lurking in the foreground but we're not sure what (or who) is there yet.  Marie, Gaston and Valiant, the dog, let us know whatever it is; we might want to think about running.  This is what illustrator Rafael Rosado conveys with excellence.

The panels range in size to depict superb pacing.  Sometimes smaller images are placed within a larger picture.  Speech bubbles contribute to the emotions of the characters in each sequence.  Point of view enhances those moods.  We move from humorous to absolute fear in seconds.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is a small panel among four on a single page.  Claudette is looking completely aghast at the fact they are looking for truffles instead of battling monsters.  She is wide-eyed and downcast sitting next to an overturned wooden bucket.  She is leaning on the top.  Valiant is on top next to her arm.  It's her expression which will have readers laughing out loud.  Rafael Rosado is a genius with facial features.


Once you start Monsters Beware! written by Jorge Aguirre with art by Rafael Rosado, story by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado and color by John Novak you won't be able to stop.  These characters and their adventures are like family.  I highly recommend this title and this series for both your professional and personal collections.

To learn more about Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado please visit the series website by following the link embedded in Jorge Aguirre's name.  At the publisher's website you can view interior pages. There are many others links in the blog post about the second book referenced above but this interview at The Beat Comics Culture is not included.




If you thought you might be through with monsters, you are most certainly not. Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter (First Second, April 3, 2018) written by Marcus Sedgwick with art by Thomas Taylor is about an orphan girl whose famous monster hunter parents were killed in action.  Her problem is she is not allowed by decree of the Royal Academy for the Pursuit and Eradication of Zoological Eccentricities to hunt for monsters.  She is too young.

Midnight . . .
The Academy has announced that another monster is on the loose.

I really think you ought to put your seat belt on, Miss Hart.

Scarlett is riding in a car affectionately called Dorothy with her butler named Napoleon.  He resides with her and Mrs. White the housekeeper and cook at Ravenwood Hall.  They do indeed encounter a monster who favors gulping down humans but before they can nab it and claim the reward, their nemesis, The Count, gets a picture of the monster claiming the kill.  Why didn't Scarlett get it first?  She saves a human child at the scene.

If Scarlett is caught hunting by the Watch (police) they could lose everything.  Does that stop her from hunting or Napoleon from going to T. R. A. P. E. Z. E to get word on the next monster?  It does not.  Each time they track down a monster, they know it could be their last time.

One evening Napoleon mentions a secret book called The Codex Monstrorum which explains why the monsters came.  The story hints it might offer an explanation about Scarlett's parents' deaths.  What Scarlett discovers about the book and the dastardly person who possess it, could spell disaster for their entire city.  There's more than one kind of monster.

Marcus Sedgwick does not disappoint as a graphic novelist.  At his website, a link which is attached to his name, you can access a micro-site for Scarlett Hart Monster Hunter which is wonderful.  Don't miss the site of illustrator Thomas Taylor.  He has lots of links relative to the artwork for this title.  You will be leaping from your seat at seeing some of the scenes.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images. 

This title is full of non-stop action from the first page as a monster gulps down an unsuspecting sailor on the docks and it rarely stops until the surprising ending.  You will read the final word and smile and hope there is a sequel being written.  Readers are going to gobble this up like monsters.




More than half way through The City on the Other Side (First Second, April 24, 2018) written by Mairghread Scott with art by Robin Robinson I can safely say I might stay up all night to finish it.  The time is not long after the huge earthquake in San Francisco on April 18, 1906.  We humans attribute it to scientific causes BUT . . .

There is a war being fought in the land of fairies between the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts.  It is quickly easy to understand why one side needs to win over the other.  It is the timeless battle between good and evil.

A girl, a human, discovers she has the ability to pass through the veil from her world into the realm of fairy.  She is the key to stopping the war.  She has a quest to complete.  She has allies, one unexpected but she also has powerful enemies.

Readers won't want to miss this title.

Please follow the links embedded in the creators' names to access their websites.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Mairghread Scott and Robin Robinson are interviewed at Book Riot, Comicosity, and The Beat Comics Culture. 

On Shimmering Wings

It is said seven or was it twelve were invited to celebrate the birth of a child; an eighth or perhaps a thirteenth was overlooked.  Good things were gifted to this princess except for one, an evil curse not to be undone.  It is also said there was another girl, in another story, an orphan except for a harsh stepmother and two nasty stepsisters.  In the moment of her greatest sadness a special one appeared to offer her riches beyond her dreams.

There might be a reason these stories dating back hundreds of years, though called fairy tales, rarely have these creatures in them.  Possibly the explanation is fairies are everywhere.  A Fairy Friend (Christy Ottaviano Books, Henry Holt and Company, May 10, 2016) written by Sue Fliess with illustrations by Claire Keane is a vision of possibility.

There are fairies in the sky.
All around you, fairies fly,
Flit and flutter, tumble, twirl,
When the wind blows, fairies swirl...

Fairies are indeed about in the fields and forests.  If gazing out a window in the evening they can be seen racing past, astride their faithful steeds...dragonflies.  Maybe the cool breath of air we feel brush our cheek in our dreams is the touch of a winged visitor.

You can search those fields and forests for one of these tiny friends but the best thing to do is welcome them and send them an invitation.  Build them a wee cottage out of bits and pieces you find in those areas they enjoy.  Tiny twigs, feathery ferns, fragrant flowers and soft green moss are beautiful materials.

You must be sure to include a proper bed and bath by thinking small thoughts and finding small things.  What would you use for a bath or to soften a fairy's bed?  Pour love and petals into a pot to cook a favorite food.  Carry it carefully, setting it softly down and in view.

You wait, watch and approach in silence.  Your reward will be a dream comes true; hands full of happiness, lessons lifting you to new heights, safety and cozy comfort.  As with all things loved, they need to be free.  But remember...the joy in a return is worth the time apart.


There is a lively, light happiness in the words selected by Sue Fliess  Her use of rhyme and alliteration has woven belief into the fabric of this story.  Each two line phrase hums a musical cadence of magic.  Here are two more sample passages.

Wings of fairies shimmer, spark,
Twinkle, glimmer in the dark.
Shiny spots or wisps of light
Could be fairies in your sight.


As soon as you touch the heavy dust jacket you start to marvel at the eloquence of this book.  On the front and back of the dust jacket the majority of the images are embossed.  The title text and the main illustration on the back are done in foil.  Shiny spot varnish is used on the center picture on the front.  Without even opening this title it is a magnet for those wanting to read about fairies.  (The book case matches the jacket without the varnish, embossing and foil.)

On the opening and closing endpapers in soft, natural colors four smiling fairies are enjoying themselves among leaves, branches and flowers.  There might be some fairy dust floating about them too.  Across the dedication and verso page a fairy swings leaving tiny petals in her wake.  On the title page the young girl is seated in a tire swing as her canine companion watches.

The pictures, rendered in watercolor and Photoshop by Claire Keane, create dream-like visions, delicate and flowing.  Some spread across two pages, others are on single pages and several single pages hold groups of three or two images.  All the illustrations are loosely framed in soft, brush strokes.  The expressions on the girl, her dog and the fairies are full of pure merriment.  There are subtle hints of humor when the dog seeks and sees the fairies before the girl does.

One of my favorite illustrations is the first one in the story spanning two pages.  Our perspective is that of the fairies playing among the tree tops.  Beneath the fairies the girl, wearing a backpack and carrying a net, is strolling in search of fairies.  Her dog, walking behind her, looks up at the tree tops spying the playful beings.  On the right-hand side in the upper corner we can see the girl's home.


Anyone who reads A Fairy Friend written by Sue Fliess with illustrations by Claire Keane will be searching outside for tiny twigs, feathery ferns, fragrant flowers and soft green moss as soon as they finished the final word.  Eventually you may find a fairy residing in your newly built home or a friend of a fairy from the nearby fields or forests.  One copy in your classrooms and libraries will not be enough.  This little treasure will rarely be on the bookshelves.

To learn more about Sue Fliess and Claire Keane and their other work please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  On Claire Keane's website you can view interior images from this title.  She also maintains Tumblr pages.  Sue Fliess wrote a guest post about this title for Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's blog, Watch. Connect. Read. There is a different interior image to be seen at the publisher's website.